There have been suicide bombings and other acts of violence at Sufi shrines in Pakistan recently. Some of the other Muslims view some of the Sufis' religious practices as being "un-Islamic." Especially, the fundamentalist Islamic terrorists dislike the Sufis.

There are few things more sad and more stupid than religious persecution. We are all sentient beings who seek happiness. The Sufis peacefully practice their unique version of Islam which is the polar opposite of the intolerant and violent beliefs of the terrorists.

Yes, but who are the fundamentalists ? For example, under the rule of Saddam Hussein sufis enjoyed exceptional freedom in Irak. After Saddam's reign ended they immediately put 900 sufis into prison. Some time later in Irak they had Court cases against the sufis, with the result that both the accused sufis themselves and their lawyers got public whipping, and jail of course!! This is the Irak Freedom we suppose ??

Eh, that's a good question! I'm not any expert on Islam so I wanted to avoid naming any particular groups. The American media often say that the followers of the Wahhabi movement are the extremists, but a few searches on the internet shows me that things are much more complicated than that, so I won't rush to say that every person with Wahhabi beliefs is the problem.

I guess what I meant by "fundamentalists" are basically Muslims who hate people who follow other sects and religions who use violence to achieve their goals--basically, people who have beliefs which are similar to Bin Laden's.

However, I also fear that all too many people in the west have been affected by the western media's propaganda that every Muslim is a violent, primitive savage. This clearly isn't true (although it makes it much easier for governments to get their citizens to wage war against them!), and Mahayana Buddhism teaches that it's incredibly important to feel compassion for all beings (although many people would like to tinker with the definition of "all" to better suit their pre-existing prejudices).

May the Sufi's in Pakistan and everywhere around the world be well, happy, peaceful and protected from all harm. May Muslims of all kinds all over the world be well, happy, peaceful and protected from all harm. May people all over the world everywhere be well, happy, peaceful and protected from all harm. May the thoughts of harming people never arise in the mind of any being. May all beings love one another. May all beings become an inexhaustible treasury of all good qualities. May Bodhicitta arise in the minds of all beings and increase infinitely.

''Everyone is so afraid of death, but the real sufis just laugh: nothing tyrannizes their hearts. What strikes the oyster shell does not damage the pearl.''

Rumi

''Not Christian or Jew or Muslim, not HinduBuddhist, sufi, or zen. Not any religionor cultural system. I am not from the Eastor the West, not out of the ocean or upfrom the ground, not natural or ethereal, notcomposed of elements at all. I do not exist,am not an entity in this world or the next,did not descend from Adam or Eve or anyorigin story. My place is placeless, a traceof the traceless. Neither body or soul.I belong to the beloved, have seen the twoworlds as one and that one call to and know,first, last, outer, inner, only thatbreath breathing human being.''

Yeshe wrote:''Everyone is so afraid of death, but the real sufis just laugh: nothing tyrannizes their hearts. What strikes the oyster shell does not damage the pearl.''

Rumi

''Not Christian or Jew or Muslim, not HinduBuddhist, sufi, or zen. Not any religionor cultural system. I am not from the Eastor the West, not out of the ocean or upfrom the ground, not natural or ethereal, notcomposed of elements at all. I do not exist,am not an entity in this world or the next,did not descend from Adam or Eve or anyorigin story. My place is placeless, a traceof the traceless. Neither body or soul.I belong to the beloved, have seen the twoworlds as one and that one call to and know,first, last, outer, inner, only thatbreath breathing human being.''

Rumi

I find it strange and surprising that Rumi should have known that Buddhism exists!? To say nothing about that "Zen" exists!? In the Persia of 1200's!? What might the actual words be in persian language ? I have heard that "Buddhism" is an anathema in Islam, it is not allowed to say or know such impure words.

I'll continue a little about Rumi: Idries Shah writes that Rumi comes originally from Afghanisthan, like Idries Shah does, who himself is of afghan origin. Some years ago Rumi's whole name was written Jallal Uddin Rumi. I remarked that his name seems similar to some buddhist siddhas' names: Jallal is derived from Jalandhara, you can find variations of Jalandhara's name in Keith Dowman's Masters of Mahamudra, Uddin seems like the name Uddiyana, which is sanskrit for Urgyen, Orgyen and Ogyen. Naturally his name, or its writing, has changed recently so that there is no "U" in it anymore, and Jallal has also been changed. History is very fluid and changeable in sufism (as it is elsewhere too for that matter). There are some weird stories about his head, which seems enormously large, if you look at the pictures of him. But that is another matter.